Law, William: The works of the Reverend William Law, M.A.: in 9 vol. (Band 4): A serious call to a devout and holy life, adapted to the state and condition of all orders of christians (Setley, Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, 1893)

a Devout and Holy Life. 105

the blessing of five becomes the blessing of ten talents ; and he
is received with a ' well done, good and faithful servant, enter
thou into the joy of thy Lord/

Now as the case of these men in the parable, left nothing else
to their choice, but either to be happy in using their gifts to the
glory of the Lord, or miserable by using them according to their
own humours and fancies; so the state of Christianity leaves us
no other choice.

All that we have, all that we are, all that we enjoy, are only
so many talents from God : if we use them to the ends of a
pious and holy life, our five talents will become ten, and our
labours will carry us into the joy of our Lord ; but if we abuse
them to the gratification of our own passions, sacrificing the
gifts of God to our own pride and vanity, we shall live here
in vain labours and foolish anxieties, shunning Religion as a
melancholy thing, accusing our Lord as a hard master, and then
fall into everlasting misery.

We may for a while amuse ourselves with names, and sounds,
and shadows of happiness ; we may talk of this or that greatness
and dignity ; but if we desire real happiness, we have no other
possible way to it, but by improving our talents, by so holily
and piously using the powers and faculties of men in this present
state, that we maybe happy and glorious in the powers and
faculties of angels in the world to come.

How ignorant therefore are they, of the nature of Religion, of
the nature of man, and the nature of God, who think a life of
strict piety and devotion to God, to be a dull uncomfortable state;
when it is so plain and certain, that there is neither comfort or
joy to be found in anything else ?